The Flaming Lips

The two most-nominated shows at this year's Tony Awards might sound familiar, even to those who don't keep an eye on Broadway: Mean Girls, based on the 2004 movie, and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, based on the long-running animated TV show, each earned a dozen nominations.

In this week's All Songs Considered, we feature three solo projects by some of our favorite bandleaders, a solo artist's duets record, and new music from some familiar faces, or more accurately put, some familiar Lips. The Flaming Lips are back with a new album, Oczy Młody, inspired by a Polish book that Wayne Coyne owns and finds phonetically fascinating (even if he doesn't understand any of the words). We've also got Run the Jewels, a duo that's all about the words and whose new single speaks to urgent issues of race relations.

Rolling Stone called it the greatest album of all time — and for some, that's an understatement. The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, raising the standard of rock 'n' roll and challenging their peers to catch up. For just about anyone who cares about rock music, this album is unassailable. And yet, one band — with a reputation for being contrarian — is testing the waters.

Oklahoma City band The Flaming Lips gives back to the community while taking fans on a nostalgia trip with its upcoming new album. Titled, "With A Little Help From My Fwends," the Flaming Lips' latest studio release is a tribute to the Beatles in the form of a track-for-track cover of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" record. While the album doesn't drop until October 28th, pre-orders are available now and include an instant download of the track "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" featuring Miley Cyrus and Moby.

Do you really need to go to school to learn about rocking out? Many musicians might say no: Lock yourself in your room with a bunch of records and a guitar, put in your days on the road playing in scummy clubs, and you'll master the craft eventually.